SINGAPORE - Selling new Housing Board flats for $90,000 to $270,000, making maternal and paediatric care mostly free, reducing the goods and services tax to 7 per cent, and removing the PSLE.
These are some proposals put forth by the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) on April 20 as it unveiled its manifesto for the upcoming polls on May 3.
A day earlier, it revealed its campaign slogan of Thrive, Not Just Survive.
The manifesto was launched by party chairman Paul Tambyah at Yew Tee Square, part of Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, where the opposition party has planted its flag.
“Our campaign manifesto is a promise, and it is a promise that we want all of you to hold us accountable to,” said Professor Tambyah.
Flanking him were party vice-chairman Bryan Lim, organising secretary Jufri Salim and member Gigene Wong. The three are set to be fielded in constituencies that SDP intends to contest in.
SDP’s manifesto has six broad sections, spelling out “Thrive”, with more than 40 proposals.
Its six thrusts include ensuring fair taxes, universal healthcare, respect for the planet and people, rational immigration, a voluntary early redevelopment scheme for affordable housing, and an education system promoting creativity and equality.
To address housing affordability, the SDP proposes introducing the non-open market (NOM) scheme.
It argues that this will make homes cheaper because the cost of an HDB flat will include only the cost of construction and administration.
It said it believes the NOM scheme can offer two-room flats at around $90,000; three-room flats at $120,000; four-room units at $200,000; and five-room apartments at $270,000.
It proposes NOM flats be sold back only to HDB at the purchase price less the consumed lease, and their leases cannot be transferred in the HDB resale market.
For education, SDP’s manifesto proposes doing away with the PSLE, offering interest-free student loans for all undergraduates, and nationalising all pre-schools to make pre-school education affordable for everyone.
Under healthcare, SDP proposed that maternal and paediatric services should be largely free and funded by the government from taxes. It believes this will reduce the cost of raising children and potentially address the problem of Singapore’s falling birth rates.
When asked how SDP would fund such policy changes, Prof Tambyah pointed to the budget surplus of $6.8 billion expected for financial year 2025.
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According to Prof Tambyah’s calculations, a reduction of GST from 9 per cent to 7 per cent would still result in a surplus of $1.83 billion.
The education proposals, with estimates churned using AI software ChatGPT and DeepSeek, will cost about $1.5 billion.
Prof Tambyah added: “Interestingly enough, it is well within the $1.8 billion surplus for FY2025 budget, even if you reduce GST to 7 per cent. So, for the education part, it does cost, and we think we can pay for it through the surplus without touching the reserves.”
Prof Tambyah also addressed questions on how SDP’s manifesto can guide Singapore through rough waters caused by the US tariffs. He said Singapore has to strengthen its domestic economy.
He said: “The domestic consumption portion of our GDP is very low. It is at 40 per cent, which is one of the lowest in high-income countries across the world. Clearly, we have to increase the proportion of consumption.”
To do so, SDP has recommendations to support small and medium-sized enterprises.
“There are many levers we can do domestically, because the external environment is so unpredictable,” said Prof Tambyah.
For the coming general election, Prof Tambyah will run again in Bukit Panjang SMC, where he secured 46.27 per cent of the vote in 2020.
SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan plans to contest in the newly carved out Sembawang West SMC.
The opposition party’s four-member slate for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, comprising Mr Salim, Ms Wong, alternative news site founder Ariffin Sha and theatre director Alec Tok, will be up against a PAP slate led by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
SDP will also contest Sembawang GRC, with a five-member team consisting of Mr Lim, deputy head of policy James Gomez, treasurer Surayah Akbar and members Damanhuri Abas and Alfred Tan.
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